West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-07-15

constitution met with general appro-
val. 1t is just that provision which
has turned out acomplete failure
The election of President by the
people was established by popular
sentiment, and the action of the col
lege of electors was soon reduced to
a mere formality.
Now-it is hardly necessary to
inform our readers-there is, in
point of fact, no such thing as ''the
college of electors" and never has
been. The constitution established
an electoral college for each State,
whose functions are precisely to-day
what they were when first estab-
lished, with the same formalities,
neither more nor less. ''The cleo
tion of the President by the people,"
is Just as true and real now as it was
originally, and not a whit more so,
nor a particle less. The people never
have elected a president, except
through the machinery of the cleo
toral colleges, where they are repre-
scented both federally, and numeri-
cally, or nationally. Many presi-
dents (Lincoln and Polk, for exam
pie, have received a minority of the
popular vote, and yet have been con
stitutionally elected, because ma
iority of votes in the electoral col
leges were cast in their favor.
Again; this extraordinary sup
Elemental leader is surmounted by
an artistic woodcut presenting the
portraits of whom, does the reader
suppose? You will say at once, Of
Jefferson the author of the Declare
ton which alone gives significance
to this immortal day-the 4th of
July: or of Washington, who pre-
sided over the convention of 81 !:
or of Madison, 'the father of the
constitution" or of Wilson or Ben.
Franklin. Not at all. On the con-
trary, the author, whoever he may
be, surmounts his fancy-sketch with
the heads of Alexander Hamilton
and Gouverneur Morris, and gives
us this extraordinary explanation
of his selection.
Gouverneur Morris, whose por-
trait accompanies this article, was
the man who drafted the constitu-
ton. He was one Of the New York
delegates to the constitutional con-
vention, and during its debates he
made the prophetic remark: "This
country must be united. If persua-
sion does not the sword will" He
was chosen to draft and arrange the
provisions of the constitution as set
tied by the votes of the convention.
Alexander Hamilton's portrait APP
propriately accompanies that of his
colleague, Morris, for he it was, as
Secretary of the Treasury, who con-
verted the latter's paper scheme
into an actual machine of govern
ment.
Never was there q more ingenious
admixture of perverted truth and
downright misrepresentation than
is exhibited in the bold eff'rontery
of this quotation. We do not refer
to the gross historical blunder of
calling Gouverneur Morris "col-
league" of Alexander Hamilton, or
describing him as lone of the New
York delegates TO the constitutional
convention" Every schOolboy
knows that he was a delegate from
Pennsylvania But we would call
attention to the graver plumbers
against constitutional history, and
the genius of our institutions which
pervade this extract.
Instead of being "the man who
drafted the constitution" Mr.. Nor
ris was not even one of the commit
tee appointed to draft, (that is put
into form and apt language the
provisions laboriously wrought out
and adopted in committee Of the
whole, by the convention itself. The
work of drgtting, in this limited
sense, was lntruSted TO "Commlt-
tee of Detail" of which Mr.. Morris
was not 4 member. The committee
reported to the convention their
draft, which was debated, and with
out material alteration, accepted.
Then it was, that a COMMITTEE on
Style and Arrangement was APP
pointed, consisting of .fce members,
Of whom Mr.. Morris was one. To
this committee was intrusted pure
" clerical, rhetorical, and method
cal duty, and Mr.. Morris can no
more be said to have drafted the